1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an abutment and waxing sleeve assembly for dental implants. More particularly, the abutment and waxing sleeve assembly is constructed such that the abutment is at an angle relative to the exterior of the waxing sleeve, such that a wide variety of angles between the anchor and the abutment may be achieved by rotating the abutment relative to the anchor and trimming the waxing sleeve. Additionally, this type of waxing sleeve, preferably of a lightweight material, having a low melting point, suitable for casting (hereinafter referred to as polymer or polymeric), simplifies the forming of a coping (substructure beneath the enamel) for the prosthesis.
In the dental arts, xe2x80x9cpost and corexe2x80x9d typically refer to a single element, while xe2x80x9cabutmentxe2x80x9d refers to a core which may be formed separately from the post or screw. Hereinafter the term core and abutment will be used interchangeably.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a dental prosthesis is to be attached to a patient""s jaw it must be properly aligned with the other teeth or prostheses so as to be parallel thereto. A problem arises when an anchor receiving the abutment is inserted into the jaw at an angle not suitable for proper alignment. This may occur because bone tissue capable of securely supporting the anchor is not advantageously situated for appropriate placement of the anchor, or because it is simply too difficult to install properly in the available space.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,716,215, issued to the instant inventor on Feb. 10, 1998, discloses a MACHINABLE POST AND CORE having a core which has a first side parallel to the axis of the post and a second side which is oblique to the axis. Excess material of the core may be machined away to produce a post at a desired angle relative to the post. By contrast, the present invention provides an abutment which is fabricated at an angle relative to the waxing sleeve which aids in the formation of a coping for the prosthesis which will cooperate with the abutment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,477, issued to Luis O. Calderon on May 31, 1994, UNIVERSAL IMPLANT ABUTMENT is disclosed. Calderon""s post and core requires considerable grinding of the core to properly align the prosthesis. By contrast, the waxing sleeve of the present invention allows modification of a soft plastic to align the prosthesis.
An IMPLANT COLLAR AND POST SYSTEM is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,302, issued to Gerald M. Martin on Sep. 27, 1994. Some of the components of the post and core assembly have screw bores and mounting cavities which are misaligned, so that the component can be screwed to a supporting component. A subsequently mounted member continues at an angle relative to the supporting component. The various components allow for progressive adjustment to suit conditions as successive components are assembled and oriented at new angles relative to their predecessors. The present invention provides a much simpler apparatus which further incorporates a waxing sleeve which aids in the formation of a coping for the prosthesis which will cooperate with the abutment.
Vincent De Buck discloses a METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APPLYING A DIRECTION ADJUSTING EXTENSION PIECE IN A DENTAL IMPLANT in U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,301, issued on Sep. 27, 1994. The post and core are provided as two separate, subsequently united structures in this invention. By contrast with the present invention, no part is deflectable into the desired position in the De Buck invention. Rather, in the De Buck device, an assembly incorporating a desired angle must be built up from individual components. The present invention further incorporates the waxing sleeve to aid in the formation of a coping for the prosthesis which will cooperate with the abutment.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention provides an abutment and waxing sleeve assembly which both cooperates with a conventional anchor having a socket for receiving the abutment, and also adjusts to correct for angular misalignment of the prosthesis.
The abutment is formed of a biocompatible material that is chemically stable within the environment of the mouth, such as, but not limited to, titanium. After implantation of the anchor, the abutment is attached, either by a screw through the abutment or a post and core assembly, with rough alignment for the prosthesis being achieved by rotating the abutment relative to the anchor such that the abutment is as close to alignment for the prosthesis as possible. The waxing sleeve is then fit over the abutment. Adjustment grinding is then done on the waxing sleeve, as opposed to on the abutment, as in prior art, thereby speeding the modeling procedure. It is important to note that waxing sleeves available today have the same central axis as the abutment they cover. They are concentric around the central axis of the abutment. This greatly reduces their ease of use.
The novel abutment and waxing sleeve assembly is compatible with conventional anchors, and therefore, does not require fabrication of special anchors.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an abutment and waxing sleeve assembly which may be variably aligned to allow the associated prosthesis to be correctly aligned with adjacent teeth or prostheses.
It is another object of the invention to provide an abutment and waxing sleeve assembly which may be used with a conventional prosthetic anchor.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an abutment and waxing sleeve assembly which is relatively easy to fabricate and install.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an abutment and waxing sleeve assembly which is economical to use in that the waxing sleeve has an exterior which is not concentric with the core that it cooperates with, thereby requiring less grinding of the abutment, and more versatility
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a abutment and waxing sleeve assembly which easily corrects angular deviation of implant to the desired angle through differing angles of deviation of the abutment and the waxing sleeve.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.